Farmer's Market and National Scrapbook Day

I'm a bit behind...again! Almost everyone in my family is sick, including some late night croupers. Poor J was really miserable during the night and croup does get scary. It's much easier to triage the symptoms and give advice for someone else's child than it is to decide for your own! She is still feeling punky but improving thankfully.

Last Saturday I went to the farmer's market near here and I wasn't able to get anything because I wouldn't be home for about 8 hours. The first thing I saw were these mushrooms. The lady was amused that I was taking photos of common mushrooms, so she held up this for me to take a picture! :o)

In the flower stalls, I enjoyed seeing the graduated colors of these German Statice.

I don't know what these are called but they look related to phlox. I know several readers are avid gardeners - any hints?



I took this to show what wheat looks like to my kids. I should have bought some, but didn't think until afterwards. They seem me grind the wheat berries into flour but I don't think they totally get that it is a plant first.

Sweat Peas are always delightful, but you can see they don't tolerate the heat.

Even onions can be beautiful in the right setting with morning light! But the biggest surprise of the day was finding a vendor who sold Quark which is a bit like cream cheese, but generally softer and a little milder. It is fantastic when used for cheesecake and my German friends make bread rolls and pizza dough with it. I really like it but this is the first time I have seen it in California. I used to get it from a farm down the road from my folks. It is very healthy with probiotics like yogurt and I am excited to try it in baking or on our bagels. I won't be able to go back this weekend, but will try next.

So, Saturday was National Scrapbooking Day and I was invited by Dana, a friend at church to come to a Creative Memories crop with her. It has been FOREVER since I have scrapbooked! Dana and I know each other in passing as she is also a homeschool Mom and my D is friends with her kids. But, we hadn't gotten a chance to really talk and get to know each other. So we did nothing but talk all day on Saturday! :o) We don't have too many pages to show for it but we did enjoy some time out to relax. Michelle was the consultant. If you finished a page, you put this in front of you and periodically they had a give away. If you had it in front of you when that happened, you got to pick a prize. I didn't win anything but had a lot of fun anyway.

There were tables with ideas and products and all these great pages hung on a line across the room. We also had opportunity to sit in on some demonstrations. A yummy lunch was provided too and since my consultant Sonia "retired", I was glad to get back and connected with scrappers. I have scrapbooked with Sonia since moving here 9 years ago, so I felt like I was "cheating" on her by scrapping with other people! LOL

This year I am learning to scrapbook digitally. I need to do some posts about that in the future. After reviewing several options, I decided to stick with using Photoshop Elements 6, which I already had for my photography. It's easy to use and I have had a lot of fun. The next step is that I will get a 12x12 print done at Costco to see what they actually look like off screen before progressing too far ahead.

Do any of you scrapbook either traditionally or digitally?

Songs On Sunday

Today I was in church for the first time in a month and it was really nice. I was out a few weeks with sick kiddos and once with a migraine. Our church celebrates communion on the first Sunday of every month, so I am glad I was there today. Pastor Jeff, who is in training for missions, spoke today and his message was refreshing! In fact it has given me inspiration on how to tackle some difficult issues/decisions we have been facing.

The title of the sermon was "What Jesus wouldn't do!" He meant no disrespect to WWJD, but suggested we might ask the alternative question. The emphasis of the sermon is that we cannot do anything of our own efforts, no matter how good, wonderful etc that we are, to be holy. We are holy because of Him in us and He is our guide every step of the way. That is an oversimplified version of the sermon! :o) It gave me a lot to think on and it was neat that our discussions in SS were along the same lines - it was unplanned, but as it so often happens, dovetailed with the sermon.

At the close of service, we sang a hymn which invoked memories of childhood Sabbath meetings at Grandma's side.

I need Thee every hour, most gracious Lord;

No tender voice like Thine can peace afford.

Refrain
I need Thee, O I need Thee;

Every hour I need Thee;

O bless me now, my Savior,

I come to Thee.

I need Thee every hour, stay Thou nearby;

Temptations lose their power when Thou art nigh.

Refrain

I need Thee every hour, in joy or pain;

Come quickly and abide, or life is in vain.

Refrain

I need Thee every hour; teach me Thy will;

And Thy rich promises in me fulfill.

Refrain

I need Thee every hour, most Holy One;

O make me Thine indeed, Thou blessèd Son.

Refrain

Danny Boy

Daniel Albin Johnson

12/4/1967 to 5/1/1973

35 years later, I would think it would get easier, but it does not. The day he left this earth, sunshine left the room and my heart was broken. God heals the raw pain, but the hole is still there. I do not dwell on it, but some days the grief comes in waves when I least expect it.

So many times lately I have looked at my children and wished I could share them with him. Maybe because my son is about the same age as I was when he left and my girls are almost the same age as him. My brother and I were 17.5 months apart and so were my children. I couldn't get the scanner to scan these photocopies of 126 black and white photos, so I photographed them quickly to share. Sorry for the blurry pics.


This photo is probably Christmas 1968, Danny and I with Grandpa and Grandma Johnson - can you see how he holds my finger. We were pretty close right from the start.

This is at my Grandparents' lot on the Skykomish River, probably 1969. Danny is drinking a pop. My Dad drove pop delivery trucks so we often had wooden cases of pop in glass bottles that went camping with us. It was not something we normally had so it seemed a neat treat at the time.

This joyful smile is what I remember because most of the time he was like this. He had an even tempered nature. It was usually me that had the temper or stubbornness!

This is 1970, since my cousin, the baby was born late 1969. That's Grandma Hopkins holding her and me with my arm around my brother. This is in the parking lot at Paradise at Mount Rainier National Park. I would have been about 4 and Danny 2 1/2 years old.

Oh Danny boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling
From glen to glen, and down the mountain side
The summer's gone, and all the flowers are dying
'Tis you, 'tis you must go and I must bide.
But come ye back when summer's in the meadow
Or when the valley's hushed and white with snow
'Tis I'll be here in sunshine or in shadow
Oh Danny boy, oh Danny boy, I love you so.

And if you come, when all the flowers are dying
And I am dead, as dead I well may be
You'll come and find the place where I am lying
And kneel and say an "Ave" there for me.

And I shall hear, tho' soft you tread above me
And all my dreams will warm and sweeter be
If you'll not fail to tell me that you love me
I'll simply sleep in peace until you come to me.

I'll simply sleep in peace until you come to me.

Blogiversary Winners!

Thank you everyone for all your comments! It was so nice to hear from some of you who lurk and a few who were brand new and several who had never commented before!

Several asked about my quilt. Yes, it was my first quilt and there are mistakes in it to prove it. :o) We used Quilts, Quilts, Quilts which gives a lesson and a block or full quilt for each technique. Many people ended up with lap quilts or wall hangings but that did not seem practical to me since I live in such a small space. I decided to make a Queen size quilt. Our instructors laughed, warning I would probably never finish! LOL Well they are partly right. You can see from the photos that I got it sandwiched with the backing and batting, but it is still waiting to be quilted. Because of it's size, it is difficult to machine quilt. I don't have a frame or room for a frame to hand quilt and I don't have the money to send it out to be quilted, so three and a half years later it is waiting. However, posting about it has given me some incentive! :o)

Thank you for all your lovely comments and I would love to get to know YOU better!

So, without further ado, I numbered the list of names who entered and if you were entered twice for posting on your blog or for being a new commenter, you were given two numbers. Then I went to Random.org to produce random integers. If you won, please email me with your snail mail address at talindamood at hotmail dot com. Also I will try to post photos later of the yarn that was won.



Prize One: 3 skeins Sock Memories Yukon from Knit Picks went to Tina at Take Heart Farm


Prize Two: 2 skeins Crystal Palace Kid Merino in Circus (rainbow variegated) went to ikkinlala, a first time commenter who does not have a blog.


Prize Three: Beth Holland's Bread for Life Cookbook, volume One goes to Marci at Down On The Farm. (Go look at her cute little lambs on their Amazing Grace Farm. She is having a "Name the Lambs Contest".)


Prize Four: 10 of my photo cards, some of which can be seen at Love Notes Photography goes to Donna at Spinning Daydreams. Donna is a twin mama too.


Prize Five: One enlargement of 8x10 or 8x12 that may be customized by a scripture, quote or poem goes to another Theresa at Knitting Nonpareil, who is also a twins' Grandma!

Congratulations Everyone! Thank you so much for helping make my blogiversary fun! :o)

Blogiversary Give Aways

Please scroll down to see about my blogiversary give aways... enter to win until Wednesday, April 30, 2008!

Wellness Wednesday #26

Good morning Everyone! I am pleased to report that the scale actually budged for a change! :o) My weight went down 1# to 314#. Every pound makes a difference and I'm thankful. In spite of the increased pain with physical therapy for my hip bursitis and tight ilial-tibial band, I have been more mobile and I think that helps. During school time, the kids and I have had a break to stretch and get the wiggles out and they do my PT exercises with me. But I am really looking forward to my PT appt and especially the ultrasound treatment this afternoon which gives it some relief. Hopefully walking will start up soon! I have been okayed to walk as long as I stop when it hurts, but that does not get me far! LOL

Look at the busy bees above. The photo was taken by my friend Shelley who is starting with her first hive this spring. I have no desire to do it myself but am interested in her adventure and love raw honey. I would love to hear from any of you who have hives or who have learned about honey and any recommendations on websites. So far I have learned:

1. Always eat RAW honey with minimal processing. Heating and other processes done to store honey kill the enzymes and nutrients. Also be aware of your product and where it comes from. Deborah just informed me that some places cut their honey with corn syrup! UGH! (Please note: Honey can contain a type of botulism that infants cannot fight off, but does not harm adults. Children under the age of 12 months should not eat honey even if it is cooked into things like graham crackers and cookies!)

2. Raw honey is about 85% sugar, the other 15% is water and other nutrients. It has less sugar than sugar and is sweeter than sugar. When substituting in a recipe you can use about 1/2 the amount or sometimes even less.

3. Honey comes in a range of flavors depending on where and upon what the bees have been feasting. Usually, the darker honey has more nutrients, but this may vary. Not all honey is really sweet. Some have smoky, woody and herby flavors.

4. Raw honey has some anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties. My friend Margaret told me that it can be used on brown recluse spider bites! Honey has long been used as a soothing agent for sore throats. Eating raw honey local to you, may work like "antigen" in combatting plant allergies.

Sacramento Beekeeping (where I buy my honey)

Glory Bee

Blessed Bee (Shelley, you need to post about your adventure!)

Highland Games Festival (warning: long, photo intensive post)

Our family has had a long stressful first quarter of 2008 and felt it was about time we got out for a little fun together. We have been missing our Daddy as he has been working so hard! I have always wanted to go to a highland games and was excited about the prospect of all I would have to photograph. In spite of my photo intensive post, I did not get to photograph all the things I had hoped to as it got too hot (92* - HELLO, have you heard it is ONLY APRIL!?!!! YUCK!) and the kids could not handle it. My poor little J Girl (Hey I have one too Amy!) could not handle all the people. So in the interest of family sanity we did leave a little early. I hope to go back again next year!

My interest in Scotland grew when I did genealogy group and found that several of my family lines came from Scotland at some point in time - Kirkland, Forbes, Blair, Parks, West and possibly Tisdale (before moving to northern Ireland). Sadly, I have not traced all the way back to Scotland yet. I also spent a week in Scotland, June 1994 and it is in my heart in a big way. I hope God gives me opportunity to take Hubby back some day.

This is who we saw in the parking lot. I took the photo to show my Mom what her husband would look like in a kilt! LOL This is the Buchanon tartan. All day I tried to talk my Hubby into getting a kilt. If we hadn't had a quickly and inexpensively planned wedding on a very small budget, I would have loved to have had him in a kilt instead of tails. He might have done it then if he thought that was the only way we were getting married! LOL He didn't even pick up on the idea of a utili-kilt, which I think look nifty and would be pretty comfortable in our hot weather! :o) He's a spoiled sport though!

There was a lot to see. First we stopped and watched some country dancing, which interested all three kids.

Then we saw these surly old bagpipers just hanging around.

Well, I guess I did get him in a kilt! HA! :o) Not quite what I was looking for, but I guess I'll have to be satisfied.

There was plenty of kilt wearers to behold! There were babies in plaid and old men in wheel chairs and knobby knees. I thought this little guy was the cutest!

This was kind of fascinating to watch as grown men swirled and twirled around. I thought it was only my girly girls that liked twirly "Sunday dresses", but I guess it's okay for the guys if they grunt and throw heavy objects while they twirl! :o) Seriously, it's not that easy to do. Sorry for the orange nets...they were up for obvious safety reasons.

They start out somewhat sedate (isn't this a pretty tartan?).

But they got a little wild and crazy too!

Next we watched the performance dogs. The kids had a blast with this. Aren't these puppies adorable?

They come out just briefly so they can get used to the noise, crowds and clapping.

These dogs really loved performing. One was so happy, he barked the whole time and pranced as he waited for the next command. Look at the intensity in this dog's face.

See the lady's hand? Most of the signals were done by hand.

This is the dog who was barking happy! :o)

This gal was really good with the dogs and you could tell she loved what she was doing.

After the dog show, we went to see the animals. First was a cow with an Irish name, that I can't remember. They are short-legged and I imagine they must be, like the ponies on the islands, for walking up and down the hills and dales and rocky slopes. J is in stripes, A in yellow.

There were quite a few Shelties. We love our Pixie, my friend Sonia's Sheltie that we babysit at Christmas time.

These are Highland cattle. They were not overly thrilled to be there and I have heard that they can have a bit of an attitude. There is a farm near the church we got married in that has these and in the midst of black and white dairy country, they do turn your head!

There were a few Cheviot sheep in a pen, wishing they weren't!

The lady whose Shetlands I photographed on Roc Day 2007 was there with some of her sheep. This is a ram lamb.

And I was really surprised to see D petting this little ewe. He's not overly adventuresome with sheep. Do you think this little girl loves being a farm girl or what? She held the lambs up for the other kids to pet.

There were some spinners there as well and I think this one Shetland ewe was partially shorn for demonstration purposes, but I'm not sure.

Then I saw these little sheep! They were so CUTE!

The one on the right came home for me. I think I'll name him "Hershey"!

There were two Clydesdales who pulled the Chief of the Caledonian club in a beautiful coach for the parade.

More puppies... who can resist. The border collie puppies were fluffy energy balls! :o)

A had fun petting this Gordon Setter.

This is a Harris Hawk.

And the falconer said this is a cross between a Peregrine Falcon and another kind of falcon, whose name I cannot remember.

D of course was all about the sports cars. His favorite was a bright yellow.

My favorite was this Triumph from the year I was born.

This little man took his job quite SERIOUSLY! He did a good job too. He was the beginning of the whole parade. We had a hard time photographing the parade because of all the really RUDE people who kept walking in front of the camera and walking in front of the parade participants. I have never seen such rude behavior at a parade and the security people were getting really irritated too as no one was listening to their directions.

Naturally there were bag pipers!

And some awesome drummers.


Each clan had members marching. Forbes is one of my families that is a genealogical "brick wall."

These were the POW-MIA, armed services and veterans.

Then the parade went chronologically back in time. Here are representatives of WWI and WWII Scots soldiers.

Common foot soldiers - J said "I think these men in hats are the bad guys"! LOL

I don't know who they were, perhaps "Red Coats"? Notice how TALL the flagbearer is!

Medieval lords and warriors.

And the ladies followed.

Next came the Scottish Terriers. I was disappointed to not see Westies (West Highland Terriers) represented. I saw them all over the place when I was in Scotland.

This cow was a little surly but strutting it's stuff!

Mr. Happy here was another story. He was on a short leash for good reason. I thought for a minute they were going to have to turn around and go back to the pens, but he got around the big crowd and was okay.


Here you can see the short stubby legs on the Irish cow.

Look at all these lovely shelties. It was neat to see their different colors.

After the parade Hubby and I shared a scone and strawberries and a Scottish meat pie. These gentlemen (or are they?!) strolled by while we were eating. The Scottish meat pie was really good. It was a pastry like dough but not sweet and had ground beef and oatmeal inside. It tasted like onion and black pepper for seasoning. Very simple but extremely tasty. I would like to try it in a calzone.

We listened a bit to Wicked Tinkers and they were a fun group. I would love to have gone to the Ceilidh that night but that's one of the things that doesn't happen with kiddos in tow. I LOVE Celtic music, not the new age stuff, but the real stuff and I also love fiddlers, both traditional and new or crosses like Canadian Natalie MacMaster.

What I was really interested in seeing was the sheep herding and so we waited in the grandstand for a half hour.

The sheep were tired of waiting too, so they ventured into the middle of the arena to check us all out! LOL

Apparently there was a family emergency with the shepherd, so we left there for a little shopping. I could have spent a lot of money if I had a lot. There was some gorgeous jewelry and authentic tartan wools. I did buy a silver broach with celtic design and a cat eye shaped light amethyst in the center, which I plan on using with shawls.

I took a picture of these Welsh love spoons to show my step dad who is learning how to carve.

Aren't these woven wool ruanas beautiful?

Unfortunately we didn't meet up with Ruth or Amy's family, but I did see Margaret, who I met when Amy and her friends came to Babetta's on their yarn crawl and it was so fun to see her. She caught my eye because she was knitting. I wondered what she was doing and when I got closer I thought, "Hey! I know you!" My brain was too tired to think at that point or I would have gotten a picture! Hi Margaret! It was great to see you! :o)

This picture could be for one of those "priceless" commercials. :o) The greatest pleasures in life are almost always simple. Here the kids are playing in the mud at the base of an olive tree while waiting for Mom as she shopped!